Carpet/Rug tape does wonders! Especially on non-carpeted floors. There are also a lot of rug choices now that are not thick (so not a “lip” where floor surface and rug meet.
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I completely agree about the Hansgrohe faucets from Costco. We’ve used them in two different houses now and we’re very satisfied with them. The various plumbers we’ve had have all heartily endorsed the brand.
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We have 2 of those in the kitchen! I despise “commercial kitchen” everything including those giant faucets that have a large spring thingy. The Hansgrohe ones looked elegant and simple enough and are easy to clean. They turned 5 years old this spring. 
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Check how far the lever on this faucet goes back if you have a wall or backsplash right behind your sink. We had to return one before it was installed because the lever went back far. We bought another brand someplace else that had a lever that only goes back to vertical. Plus it has a hands free sensor which is handy.
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One thing I will get on my next house…if it’s affordable. A foot pedal that turns on the kitchen sink water. Very handy for rinsing off a hand full of dishes or vegetables. Completely foot operated. We have two cousins who have this in their kitchens.
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Similar to the foot pedal for water (which is cool!) my husband intalled a large button you could kick with your foot (under the cabinets) to turn on the work lights in a kitchen he rehabbed years ago. It’s not in ours but seems like it could be handy too (don’t like to touch light switches when hands have food on them when cooking!).
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I wish I would have seen these comments before I purchased our faucet at Home Depot and paid someone to put it in. Fingers crossed it lasts a long time.
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@1214mom it will last long enough…and if it has a warranty…use it if it still in effect when it doesn’t work. My issue was the first Moen we had had a lifetime warranty IIRC. The second two only one year.
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What I was going to say! Need a heat source if the power goes out. Gas fireplaces if wood not allowed.
One Kitchen designer told me to put a microwave drawer in for aging in place. Evidently, It is easier to lift up than to lift to the side as we age.
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My husband made a comment about foot pedals for sinks. He has one in his lab and hates it. Why? Because the pedal does not regulate the flow. Just tins it on and off. Maybe there are some advanced foot pedals like those on sewing machines that can regulate the speed of delivery.
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We have a gas fireplace. But… if the power ever goes out, I think it would need the electric fan to run (?). Our power lines are underground here, so we’ve been fortunate to never need backup hear. It would be good though to know the answer.
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Our place, for some unknown reason, doesn’t have a fireplace. What does have is a whole-house generator which runs off of the huge propane tank. It automatically switches on when the power goes out. The electricity usually doesn’t go out for long, but with the generator, the heat, appliances, security system, and wifi all stay on.
(The house is near a national forest, trees are all alongside the highway and surround the houses. Trees fall all the time, all year. We have the best utility company to put things back together.)
Our primary home has a gas fireplace without a fan. It does a great job of keeping the immediate area warm, but the rest of the house - not so much.
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The other great thing about an automatic whole house generator is that your frig/freezer full of stuff is not ruined.
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We met with the builder for a couple hours to try to come up with a floor plan. We haven’t gotten into the interior selections yet but the builder did mention onyx for shower pan/wall and bathroom counters as an option. It looks interesting low maintenance/low cost, can be made to look like tile without the upkeep on grout. Anyone have opinions on this?
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From looking at the manufacturer’s site, it is similar in composition to Corian. I had Corian counters and seamlessly attached Corian sink in the kitchen of our House1 for 18 years and loved it. It held up very well but I’m careful and don’t put sizzling pans on my counters. Some folks think such products look “synthetic” or “cheap,” but modern versions of Corian etc. are much better looking than the stuff from the eighties that people tend to associate with Corian etc. So generally the main legitimate concern is heat. I would totally go for it in baths but would probably go with granite (or quartz or quartzite) in the kitchen.
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We just re-did our kids’ bathroom with onyx. That bath has a tub (so no shower pan) but we used onyx for the shower walls/ceiling above the tub and countertops. Looks very good. Sinks are seamless with the countertop. Much like Corian. We went with subway tile for the shower and one of their number of options for the counter.
More and more options now are engineered.
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Thanks-I am not seeing a downside to it. Would you do the same in a master bath or just kids/guest bathroom? It sounds like it cuts down on cost and low-maintenance. When you say subway tile, was it still all one piece on each wall—no grouting?
Another much after the fact vote for an induction range. The GE Cafe ones have all the bells and whistles but are much less expensive than a pro gas range. And so easy to clean. And fast! And no hot surfaces when you turn them off. Many of our serious cooking friends are now devotees.
And a vote for a generator. If you are at risk of losing power, boy does it take a lot of stress out of storms knowing your pump, hot water heater, appliances, etc will be available even if it takes the power company a week or more to get you back on grid!
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For those building homes with patios (not deck), do make sure it is large enough.
I think our builder originally spec’s an 8x10 backyard patio. We splurged for expansion (much bigger, $200 extra? - today would be pricier) at a time our money was tight in 1993 relocation. Tonight we were having dinner outside, reminiscing about that good decision.
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@Colorado_mom same with decks. They need to be larger than you think also!
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